Elizabeth gave Daisy gentle pats on her back. Daisy quietly breathed on her grandma’s shoulder. Nier, who was by the side, peered out the window feeling irritated. She didn’t utter a word.
“All right, Daisy, stay by yourself for a while. The maid will take care of you.” Elizabeth placed Daisy into her crib. Daisy silently lied there. Daisy had just finished dinner and was sleepy. Elizabeth gently patted Daisy on her belly, and then pinched her tiny nose. She then straightened up and turned her attention to Nier: “Let’s go, Nier. Let’s go have dinner.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Nier spun around. Elizabeth softly sighed: “Nier, you don’t need to be so worried. Vyvyan came here, which proves that my son is, at least, still alive. For him to still be alive after so long indicates that he’s found a way to live, so look forward to Troy’s return.”
Sorrow and concern were prominent in Nier’s eyes. There was no sign of her feeling any relief. She pursed her lips then softly sighed: “Your Majesty, I understand that. I keep telling myself that; unfortunately, I cannot feel at ease. I cannot feel at ease without seeing His Majesty. I would rather go to his side than stay here, living in fear.”
Elizabeth chuckled in a soft tone. She caressed Nier’s head: “I actually feel the same way, Nier. I know how you feel. Without my son with us, we’ll feel disordered. We’ll imagine all sorts of tragic things. That’s nothing to feel ashamed of, nor is it wrong. Nier. That’s a manifestation of your love for my son. But Nier, you must know that when a man is out, sometimes what he wants isn’t a woman with him, but for his family to not be in a mess. Therefore, during this time that he is out, you must properly take of the children at home.”
Nier looked at Daisy, who was lying in the crib. Her gaze turned incredibly gentle. Daisy was a girl, but Nier could figuratively see Troy within her. The shape of her eyes and her hair resembled her father. Seeing her child seemingly allowed her to see her husband’s eyes, too.
Nier gently sighed. In a somewhat hopeless tone, she responded, “But… to be honest, I am most worried about His Majesty’s personal life… Your Majesty… I am not speaking ill of His Majesty. It is just that I cannot feel at ease about His Majesty’s personal life… I am his wife, so I should support all of his decisions. Still… seeing my husband being around other women honestly frustrates me… Your Majesty, do you not feel anything?”
Elizabeth looked at Nier with a complex look. She was a little frustrated. She understood how Nier felt. Vyvyan and Elizabeth were once able to satisfy each other’s lust, but when they both acknowledged their love for Inard, Elizabeth was bothered, nonetheless, particularly with regards to what took place afterwards. While her primary reason for fighting with Vyvyan was to fight for her son, there was another reason she kept fighting with Vyvyan. Said reason was that she got a little ticked off whenever she saw Vyvyan. With that said, Elizabeth felt guilty when Nier posed the question.
Elizabeth no longer understood her feelings for her son. Troy was becoming more and more similar to Inard. He wasn’t becoming the initially naïve Inard, but an Inard who had matured a lot more after going through life and death. His eyes and expression were tough as steel. Elizabeth was just an ordinary woman. The tough attitude she had kept up for almost two decades exhausted her. She wanted to live a peaceful life behind a strong man. Her son, her Troy, had grown up and was strong enough. She could live in peace for as long as she was in the North.
Elizabeth was no longer sure if her feelings for her son were purely motherly love. To the contrary, she had fantasised of herself by her son’s side. She knew she couldn’t, though. She wasn’t able to be by her son’s side in the first place. Seeing Nier and Lucia, she knew she was no longer at their age anymore.
“But then, why did I not reject him that night? Why did I accept him? If I was truly unwilling, why did that happen? I don’t understand what I’m thinking, to be honest, but I’m afraid. I don’t want to face my thoughts. I’m bold enough to charge the enemy lines at the forefront of everybody, but I don’t dare face my child’s son,” contemplated Elizabeth.
Elizabeth was very reluctant to hear that sort of complaint from Nier, for she knew that she was one of the ‘women’ Nier spoke of. She was aware of how old she was. Vyvyan could go about life in a carefree manner for hundreds of years, while she had to leave her son in mere decades.
“What right do I have to possess my son’s heart?” Elizabeth asked herself.
“That can’t be helped, Nier. I told you before. One must have greater desires than that of commoners if they wish to become a King whether that is money, power or women. It’s precisely because my son’s desires surpass of that of commoners that he thinks differently to them. If he was still how he originally was, how could he have all of this now? He is now a powerful monarch. Shouldn’t a powerful man have more than others?”
Elizabeth’s only option to was to slip. Nier nodded. Although she was unhappy, she, too, felt that a monarch should have special rights. Ling Yue was a sensible woman, as well; therefore, she wasn’t a threat to her. Furthermore, though His Majesty had lots of women, he was fair with them, was he not? He was with her every night.
The two of them entered the dining hall. Lucia was already sitting to one side. Lucia and Freya were the only ones in the huge dining hall, making it appear very barren. The Imperial Palace had deliberately prepared a banquet to welcome Ying and Xia. Though Ying and Troy didn’t have romantic feelings for each other, Nier and the others had already considered Ying their partner. Neither Ying nor Xia was at the table, though.
It was a welcoming banquet for the sisters, yet neither of them showed up. Ying and Xia should both be the type of people who were disciplined and rigid, so it was impossible for them to be late. Lucia and Nier looked at the food in front of them and wondered what happened. They didn’t know what exactly happened. Elizabeth’s heart almost skipped a beat when she didn’t see Vyvyan, either.
“Damn it!!!” Elizabeth cried out, startling Nier and Lucia, for they had no idea what happened.
Elizabeth looked at the two empty seats, stupefied. Fear gradually crept up onto Elizabeth’s pale face. She fearfully looked at the seats in front of her. She sluggishly exclaimed, “Damn it, damn it, damn it… This is bad… I should’ve stopped her. I should’ve kept an eye on her! This is bad. This is bad…. My son… My son is going to be in trouble!!!”
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It was the first time I learnt there was such a vast array of species in the desert. I thought my dinner would be a large goat, as well; nevertheless, I was presented a huge lizard. The dragon wanted to provide me with the freshest food. Thus, she didn’t bring back a dead animal. She always brought back a live animal or things still moving and tossed them down in front of me.
I looked at the lizard in front of me that was still wriggling. I was stunned. I didn’t dare to approach it, since it was swinging its tail around powerfully. I was worried that it might snap my calf. The last one disgusted the White Deer King, while the lizard frightened her. The White Deer King loudly protested. I thought she was saying not to throw disgusting species in front of it. However, the lizard was quite tasty once grilled.
At night, Dragon Mom eagerly patted the spot next to her for me to come over. It was a duty I had to fulfil every night. She greatly enjoyed. Dragons seemed to consider it a very blissful and warm endeavour, and thereby the most suitable way for a mother and son to express their love. Actually, I was sure that was what she thought. After all, nobody taught her what a mother should do.
We tightly embraced. If Dragon Mom had a tail out, she’d wrap it tightly around me. I felt that she seemed to be in a bit of a rush this time. She satisfied me as fast as possible. We didn’t really do more cosy things this time. Once we were done, I’d lose all my physical strength; or rather, my body would desperately need rest to digest the mana.
I shut my eyes. I was somewhat puzzled, but I couldn’t figure out what might’ve been the matter. She might’ve had some idea for all I know and just wanted to give me a pleasant surprise from the desert… I wouldn’t need to think, then.
The Dragon went to the door, and then narrowed her eyes. She looked toward the entrance. She wore a hostile expression. The desert was her web. She could sense a mere breeze. The three who entered this time nonchalantly invaded her web. The three of them were most certainly not arrogant adventurers. The three of them gave the Dragon an odd sense of concern, and she felt under pressure for the first time.
The three of them were terrifyingly powerful – a fact that the dragon was aware of. Normally speaking, she just needed to hide up in her cave. She could handle hunger and thirst for extensive periods, but elves can’t. This time, however, she couldn’t coop up in her cave. Her child was in the cave. She couldn’t bring danger inside. The intruders might not locate them, but if they found her, she couldn’t ensure her child’s safety in the cave.
“I must fight this time. I must stay outside. I must kill all these people who are putting me and my son in danger!” The dragon decided.
The Dragon spread her wings. Her large wings gusted up a huge sandstorm…
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